Well I just bungled the first zencha choice Brew this one cool folks.......I would skip the preheat too

Takumi is supposed to be brewed pretty cool. I go 150* with preheating the kyusu (as I mentioned in the brewing directions). They actually say 140*, if you want, give it a try. But then also brew longer than the 60 seconds I recommend.

Okay package number 4 was a little bit damaged - so I started with it.Zenchas Shincha TakumiDry leaves smell a little veggie - wet leaves smell very fresh I think.Tried to follow your instructions and of course needed a converter first (Fahrenheit to Celsius and ounce to ml) 1:1 (in fact 4g of tea and 120ml of water) 150°F(~65°C)Even took out my tasting set with smelling cup for the very first impression. Nice smell and it has a touch of Gyokuro - is it because of the Gokou leaves?The second infusion was very intense and had really a taste of vegetables.The fourth is very decent - will try a fifth but I think four are enough.

I don't know how to rate - it is to new to me. But I liked this one.Yea I have fun Thanks ChipbyeMarco

Sweet, light, floral. Subtle but lingering. Still never really been captivated by an organic Japanese green.

Drank it from my chawan, first time for non-matcha use! Felt like I should have had Bowie's Rebel, Rebel playing

I thought this might be a Japanese green my wife would like - she generally hates them but can drink some Chinese green. Very lightly steamed and gently brewed with my new high tech thermometer and timer set up, it's horrible apparently. Returned to the kitchen to make her a white tea and pomegranate teabag. Oh well, all the more tea for me.

Takumi today (après matcha in shadows).~1:1, ~148*, 60+sec.Yum!Consistent and persisting sweet stone fruit aromas (love this! Held through three infusions).Nicely rounded mouth feel, leans toward the astringent side of things, but in a balanced way. Just the teeniest hint of bitterness, but I had to really search for it, and it definitely lends to the overall balance.Umami quite evident and lovely and very balanced.Richness of vegetal flavors begins to fade on third infusion and continues to do so in the fourth, but umami and v flavors do nonetheless persist.Fourth infusion, the subtlest hints of spice emerge aroma-wise, replacing the sweet fruitiness. Astringency becomes slightly more pronounced."A" (I'd have gone to +, but today, I thought butteriness was needed for that nudge north of an A).Think I'll order some of this fine leaf.

Okay so go on with tasting Rishis Supreme Shizuoka First Flush Kukicha today - and it is nearly to hot for tea.Nice leaves - less broken and dust than the one I had last time. Dry leaves and wet leaves both have a nice odour.

I did it 1:1 again and with a little lower temperature than you recommended. 160°F for the first infusion with 60 seconds.Smell of the tea - just an idea in the nose - nearly nothing.It has a very smooth and soft taste in the mouth but very very decent. The finish is great - I think that is what you call umami It is just in the first two infusions I think - then it is getting too decent.The tea is too soft for my taste. But it is good.

A lot of small leaves here. Nice smell of the leaves but not this intense.

1:1 165°F 45"Nice in the nose - but I think I do not smell mutch today.And there is something in the first sip - can't tell what it reminds me of. Has a very good mouthfeel but is a little weak in the aftertaste.Sweet and soft again - very "rounded" I'd say.Three good infusions and fourth is okay.And I've seen this one is really a bargain. Nice price for a shincha.